Air cushion



May 12, 1925.

E. J. GLACKIN AIR CUSHION Filed D96. 1, 192

Patented May 12, 1925.

EDWARD IlfGLAcKInor CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

.AIR CUSHION.

Application Vfiled December v1, 1922. Serial No. 604,311..

VBe it known that LEDWARD .,l. GLAGKIN, a citizenof the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air Cushions, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention is concerned with air cush ions, of the type shown in myPatent No. 1,418,912, granted'June 6, 1922, and is designed to produceadevice of the class described `which shall be simple inconstruction,and consequently more cheaply manufactured and more readily renewed, butwhich shall nevertheless produce a tighter and more enduring jointbetween the metal cap and the flexible dome thanI have heretofore beenable to secure. To these ends, it consists of the novel constructionhereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. i

To illustrate my invention, I have annexed hereto a sheet of drawings,in which the same reference 'characters are used to designate identical.parts in all the figures, of which,--

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through an air cushion embodying myinvention, but before the dome has beeni clamped in place;

F 2 is affractional view of the structure shown' in Fig. 1, but on alarger scale` and showing the dome securely clamped in place to make anairtight joint; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the air cushion on the scale of Fig. 1. j

As heretofore, I preferably construct the rigid portion of the cushionwith the metallic base casting 10, which is shaped to adapt it to besecured to the desired portion of an automobile or other apparatus towhich the cushions are applied, and in the casting, I provide thecircular recesses 11 in which the sheet-metal cylinder 12 is accuratelyfitted and soldered to make an air-tight joint. Entering into thecylinder through the base casting 10 is the customary `air-inflationvalve 13. At the top of the sleeve or body portion 12, I secure the ring14, which is generally L-shaped in cross section, consisting of thethickened horizontal portion. con`V stituting the base of the ring, withthe vertical fiange portion 15, the base being secured to the body 12 bythe rivets 16 passed through ears 17 provided on the under side of thebase portion at suitable intervals. The joint is made further air-tightby being thoroughly soldered or brazed so that no air can escape in thejoint between the ring and the body portion. The flange 15 preferablyhasprojecting outwardly therefrom the ears 18, which preferably have thethreaded apertures 19 to receive the screws 20, which are passed throughapertures 21 in the ears 22 projecting from the clamping ring 23, whichis preferably provided with the rounded annular flange 24 on its underside. The shape of the ring 14 forms an annular channel surrounding thetop of the body portion or sleeve 12.

The flexible dome element is preferably made of what are originally twoparts, i. e., the outer dome portion 25, which is preferablysemispherical, and consists of a layer of comparatively hard rubber 26in which is embedded the `reinforcing fabric 27, which may be canvasorany other desired material. llithin the portion 25, and finally securedthereto during the flexing operation, is the inner semispherical portion28, of comparatively soft rubber, which is provided at its outer endwith the enlarged portion or flange 29, which is of the proper. width tolit in the annular channel, and which pref-` erably has the annular'channel 30 formed therein between its inner wall and the lower end ofthe reinforced portion 25,` this chanv nel being adapted to receive theflange 24 of the ring 23. Onthe under side of this thickened rim 29, Ipreferably form the pair of preferably angular grooves 31, so thatbefore the flexible dome is secured in place. there is an air spacebetween the bottom of the channel and the under side of the rim 29.YVhen the screws are screwed down to bring the under side of the ring 23in contactwith the top of the fiange 15, or as nearly so as possible,the soft rubber of the rim 29 is crushed into the channel, filling thesame and making an air-tight joint between the body portion 12 andflexible dome portion, which co-operates with the plunger portion 32which is carried by an arm 33 secured to a relatively movable portion ofthe vehicle or other apparatus to which it is applied in a manner whichwill be readily understood. y

Vhile I have shown and described my invention as embodied in the formwhich I at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposesy itwill be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that I donot desire tobe limited in the interliretation of 11,531,112y UNiTEnSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

the 'following` claims except as may be necessitated by the state of theprior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:

l. In an air cushion, a dome having its exterior formed of reinforcedrubber, and a rim integral therewith formed of substantially softerrubber.

2. In an air cushion, a dome having its exterior formed of reinforcedrubber, and :L rim integral therewith formed of substantially softerrubber, andthe interior of the dome being `lined with said softer rubbervulcanized thereto.

B In an air cushion, a dome having its 15 exterior formed of acomparatively hard rubber, and a rim and lining vulcanized theretoformed of substantially softer rubber.

In;wtnesswhereof, I have hereunto set 20 my hnd this 28th day ofNovember, 1922.

EDVARD J; GLACKIN.

In the presence of n witness:

JOHN How-ARD MC'ELROY.

